Nick Bridges
The Right Honourable Nick (Nicholas) Bridges, L.L.B, M.A.(Cantab), M.P., born 16th August 1933, is a British Conservative politician who currently represents the constituency of Ripon. He is currently the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Early Life Nick was born to Adam and Jessica Bridges on the 16th of August 1933, in the town of Ripon. Adam Bridges was a renowned Barrister who had an excellent record for criminal prosecution. His mother was a home-maker, and also took an interest in preserving and selling jams and various vegetables. Nick was the middle child of three children; James (born 1930) and Amanda (born 1934). Nick was brought up as a Roman Catholic but converted to Church of England when he attended Cambridge. Nick attended, through the good grace of his fathers some-what limited connections, Ripon Grammar School. He scored relatively well on the newly created 11+ exam. His involvement at the school was varied, and he played Rugby for the schools 1st XV and the fives team. His main interest was in the debating circles. Although not a naturally gifted debator, Nick enjoyed debating against fellow classmates and other schools on various political and socio issues. In his second to last year, Nick was caught with a bottle of alcohol in his bag at school, and received the most serious punishment the school offered. However, he became a Prefect, albeit with very little power due to his misadventure a year earlier, and spent a lot of time advocating for the regulation of the use of Corporal Punishment, but not full abolition. He also spent a lot of his time preparing various activities for his school. When picking Universities, it was not Nick's intention to study Law. His father, however, had organised for Nick to take on a scholarship to Cambridge to study Law and History - a combination, his father said, that would see him in good stead for his future career as a lawyer. Nick was far more interested in the History side of the degree, and barely scrapped through in his Law degree. He, however, gained the aptitude for debating, and his skills in the area were commented on by his law lecturers and mock court teachers. He took up an active interest in Politics at this time, and against his parents wishes, toyed with the idea of joining the Liberal Party. He indeed nearly signed up in his 3rd year of Law School, but decided to reconsider due to disagreeing with certain economic policies supported by the party. Nick received his degree in 1956, and graduated with an L.L.B. and an M.A. in History and Political Philosophy. He immediately joined the small but successful firm "Richards and Associates" in Edinburgh as a Junior Solicitor. He met Claudia McDonald there, a young ambitious Law Clerk, whom he married in 1961. Nick accepted a position as a Senior Solicitor at Harold, George and Daniels & Associates in London, and Claudia received a position as Secretary to Paul George, the most senior partner. In 1963 he applied for, and gained, a position as a Department of Trade Legal Adviser. He worked on various legal issues, predominantly surrounding the use of quotas and preliminary proposals on the trade implications of the proposed European Community. In 1967 he moved back to Ripon to work as a Senior Solicitor at A. Bridges & Associates, his fathers firm. Political Life Nick joined the Conservative Party in 1958 after attending a public meeting by the Ripon M.P. Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott. Nick associated with some of Stoddart-Scott's views on social issues. After talking to Stoddart-Scott, Nick joined the local branch of the Conservative Party in Edinburgh where he was working. When Bridges moved to London, he immediately became involved with various London branches of the Conservative Party, and frequented the Conservative Central Office during various local and general election campaigns, helping out where he could. During the 1966 election he became interested in running for office himself, and was helping out his local Member of Parliament in London. Although the Conservative Party did not win, he associated himself with many of the policies Edward Heath proposed. He made plans to move back to Ripon, where Local M.P. Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott was looking to step down from. Bridges campaigned primarily on the Conservative Manifesto, but like others, made extra promises to attempt to do things if he became their M.P. He offered to improve education standards by modernising systems in place currently, to look at the current tax structure and see how it can effectively change from being top heavy to an across-the-board share, and to look at our international commitments and see if we can decrease the amount of aid given, and pull out of non-commonwealth areas. Some viewed Bridges' commitments as further to the right than the party, however Bridges always denied this and said he was running a "liberal-conservative campaign, working for every man in society". Bridges was elected to Parliament in 1970, and immediately set about putting forward his ideas. Some in the party remarked that they were far too radical for the modern party, and as such, missed out on a position as an Under-secretary to the Cabinet. Bridges, however, worked hard and fought with the party to win important political battles. After the 1974 election, when Ben Walker was elected, Nick was not offered a Shadow position; he was quite happy, however. Bridges was "fundamentally opposed to the majority of the Walker Manifesto". However, in the current cabinet, Bridges and Walker have an amicable relationship, and have worked on some proposals for future education policies extensively. In 1975, Bridges was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Secretary of State for the Environment; a position he held until the General Election of 1976. Following the General Election, Nick Bridges was appointed Secretary of State for Education and Science; a position he was "excited to take on". "The challenges are great, the benefits are even more so. I look forward to working hard for British children." Bridges' first move as Secretary was to rescind the previous government's directive on Comprehensive Education, and allowed for a more choice-driven directive for the Local Education Authorities. Bridges' fought a long and difficult battle on Corporal Punishment in schools, with many of his cabinet members coming in support, and some against the use of Corporal Punishment. Voting Record 1970-1974 1974-1976 The Queen's Speech - Noe Coal Industry Cooperative Act 1974 - Noe Finance Act 1974 - Noe British Travel Agency Board Act 1974 - Noe Labour Relations Act 1974 - Noe Housing Finance (Repeal) Act 1974 - Noe Anti-Terrorism Act 1974 - Aye British Enterprise Act 1974 - Noe Cattle Disease Protection Act 1974 - Noe British Films Tax Relief Act 1974 - Noe Local Government (Planning and Development) Act 1974 - Noe Youth Entrepreneurship Act 1974 - Aye The Pay Board (Abolition) Act 1974 - Noe Coal Industry Cooperative Act 1974 - Noe Referendum (Europe) Act 1975 - Noe Sexual Offences (Register) Act 1975 - Aye Food Standards Act 1975 - Aye Scottish Economic Development Board Act 1975 - Noe Fares Act 1975 - Noe British Films Tax Relief Act 1974 (Amended by HoL) - Noe Welsh Economic Development Board Act 1975 - Noe Firearms Act 1975 - Noe Independent Police Ombudsman Act 1975 - Aye Finance Act 1975 - Noe Historical Artefact Protection Act 1975 - Noe Local Health Authorities Reform Act 1975 - Noe Employment Protection Act 1975 - Abstain Employment (National Labour Board) Act 1975 - Noe Tenants Rights Act 1975 - Noe Counter-Inflation and Prices Act 1975 - Noe Anti-Terrorism Act 1975 - Aye 1976- The Queen's Speech - Aye Personal Information Nick married Claudia McDonald in 1961, at the church in Ripon. He fathers three children - Lucas (b. 1962), Timothy(b. 1965) and Celia (b. 1966). He is a member of the Ripon Country Club, Cambridge Alumni Club, English Historical Society and the Whites Gentlemen’s Club. He speaks fluent French. His interests include writing, cooking, public speaking, hunting, reading and spending time with his younger family. Category : Conservative MPs Category : Cabinet Members